Display-rack.



810.788,988. PATENTBD MAY 2, 1805.

- R. R. NELSON.

DISPLAY RACK.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.2.1904.

um@ [mmm W'TWESSES VVEWTR ttm D NTTE STATEs Patented May 2, 1905.

ROOI-IFORD R. NELSON, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

DISPLAY-RACK.

SPECIFICATION 'OIlnng part Of Letters Patent N0. 788,938, dated May 2, 1905.

Application filed January 2,1904. Serial N0. 187,482.

To (1J/Z whom, it 771mm/ concern:

Be it known that I, RocHFoRD R. NELSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of I/Vayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Display-Racks; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othy ers skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to display-racks for exhibitingladies hats; and it consists in thc improvements hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring' to the. accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section. of a d isplay-rack embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the rack reversed in position and engaged with a hat.

A is a spindle adapted to be secured to a base by the screwthreads at its lower end or to be otherwise fixed in position.

D is a metal plate mounted at the upper end of the spindle A, so as to be revoluble thereon.

E E E2 E3 are somewhat resilient arms diverging from each other upward, as indicated most distinctly in Fig. l, and pivoted to the plate D at equal distances around its edges and extending a short distance below said plate.

Bis a sleeve adapted to reciprocate and turn upon the spindleA.

C is a plate extending in a plane at right angles to the axis of the spindle A and secured to the upper end of the sleeve B. There are slots at equal distances around the periphery of the plate C, through which slots the lower ends of the arms E E E2 E5 below the plate D extend.

It will be noticed that below the plate D the arms E E E2 E3 diverge outward and in the position shown in Fig. l and engage through the slots in the plate C at their lower ends, so that when the plate C is shoved upward the lower ends of said arms are caused to diverge farther and the upper ends thereof are brought together, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. l.

C is a coil-spring surrounding the spindle A and pressing against the plate D at its upper end and the plate O or sleeve B at its lower end and acting to press the plate C away from the plate D or into its lower position, as shown in Fig. 1.

F, Fig.2, designates a ladies hat engaged by the upper ends of the arms E E2 E3.

The operation of the above-described device is as follows: The operator takes hold of the spindle A, pressing the sleeve B and plate O upward, bringing' the upper ends of the arms E E E2 E3 toward each other, which ends are then placed within the concave portion of the hat and the sleeve B and plate O released, causing the upper ends of said arms to spread apart and contact the sides of the concavity, as indicated in Fig. 2, thus holding the hat in position. The hat and arms E E E2 E3 may be turned about the spindle A to show sides of the hat, and the hat may be placed in position it will occupy when worn. Thus it will be unnecessary to handle the hat while exhibiting it.

Each of the arms E is made of a resilient strip of metal provided intermediate its ends with the short semicircular bend c, and one or two of said arms are provided at their lower ends with the sharp inward bend e. They may be bent into position by the stroke of a die and are adjusted to position by sliding them longitudinally through the slots in the plate D until the short semicircular bends c come into said slots and engage with the walls of said slot to form a hinge. The lower ends of said arms are then placed in the slots in the plate O, the short bends in their lower ends serving as stops. A pin a2 may be placed in the spindle A to limit the downward motion of the sleeve B.

What I claim is- 1. In a display-rack, in combination with a stem, a plurality of diverging arms connected therewith and a plate rotatably mounted on said stem and adapted to cause a movement of said arms by engagement against the inner ends thereof, substantially as described.

2. In a display-rack, the combination of a stem, a plate mounted upon said stem so as to rotate about said stem, a plurality of upwardly and downwardly diverging arms pivoted to said plate, a second plate adapted to IOO reciprocate upon said stem, and engaging said arms below their pivotal points, anda spring acting to press the last-named plate clown,- ward. i

3. In a display-rack, the combination with a stern, a slotted plate mounted thereon, a plurality of non-parallel arms, each having a short approximately semicircular bend therein, each of said arms being inserted in the plate with its semicircular depression engaging the edges of a corresponding slot in said plate, substantially as described.

4L. In a display-rack, the combination of a stem, a slotted plate on said stem, a plurality of upwardly and downwardly diverging arms in the slots of said plate, said arms being pro.- Vided with short approximately semicircular depressions at the parts which are in said slots, said arms being provided with short bends at their lower ends, and a second slotted plate adapted to reciprocate on said stem below theA first-mentioned plate, the lower portions of said arms extending through the slots in the lower plate.

5. In a display-rack, the combination of a stem, a plate mounted upon said stem so as to rotate about said stem, a plurality of upwardly and downwardly diverging arms pivoted to said plate, a second plate adapted to reciprocate and rotate upon said stem and engaging said arms below their pivotal points, and a spring acting to press the last-named plate downward.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

ROCHFORD R. NELSON.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM A. MURRAY, ELLIOTT J. STODDARD. 

